Bicycle operating device

ABSTRACT

A bicycle operating device is basically provided with a base member, a positioning ratchet, a first positioning pawl and a second positioning pawl. The positioning ratchet pivots with respect to the base member about a pivot axis. The positioning ratchet pivots in first and second directions. The first and second positioning pawls are pivotally mounted about a pawl pivot axis between holding positions and releasing positions. The first and second positioning pawls include contact points that selectively contact the positioning ratchet to prevent pivoting of the positioning ratchet in the first direction while the holding position. The contact points of the first and second positioning pawls are perpendicularly spaced from the pawl pivot axis by first and second linear lengths, respectively, that are different. The pivot axis and the pawl pivot axis defines a plane. The first and second contact points are located on a same side of the plane.

BACKGROUND Field of the Invention

This invention generally relates to a bicycle operating device. Morespecifically, the present invention relates to a bicycle operatingdevice for operating a bicycle component between at least two positions.

Background Information

Bicycles are often provided with one or more bicycle components that canbe operated and/or adjusted by a rider while riding. Examples of somethese bicycle components include a gear changing device (e.g., aderailleur or an internally geared hub), a suspension and a seatpost. Abicycle operating device is usually provided on a bicycle in aconvenient place (e.g., on a bicycle handlebar) for a rider to operateand/or adjust these bicycle components. The bicycle operating device isoften connected to the bicycle component with, for example, aBowden-type control cable. Some bicycle components are moved between twoor more positions. For example, a gearshift operating device (bicycleshifter) is one example of a bicycle component operating device that isprovided with a positioning unit for establishing speed stages for agear changing device.

SUMMARY

Generally, the present disclosure is directed to various features of abicycle operating device.

In view of the state of the known technology and in accordance with afirst aspect of the present disclosure, a bicycle operating device isbasically provided that comprises a base member, a positioning ratchet,a first positioning pawl and a second positioning pawl. The positioningratchet is pivotally mounted with respect to the base member about apivot axis. The positioning ratchet is configured to pivot in a firstdirection and a second direction that is opposite to the firstdirection. The first positioning pawl is pivotally mounted with respectto the base member about a pawl pivot axis between a first holdingposition and a first releasing position. The second positioning pawl ispivotally mounted with respect to the base member about the pawl pivotaxis between a second holding position and a second releasing position.The first positioning pawl includes a first contact point beingconfigured to selectively contact the positioning ratchet and preventpivoting of the positioning ratchet in the first direction about thepivot axis while the first positioning pawl is in the first holdingposition. The first contact point is spaced in a perpendicular directionfrom the pawl pivot axis by a first linear length. The first positioningpawl releases the positioning ratchet to pivot in the first directionwhile the first positioning pawl is in the first releasing position. Thesecond positioning pawl includes a second contact point being configuredto selectively contact the positioning ratchet and prevent pivoting ofthe positioning ratchet in the first direction about the pivot axiswhile the second positioning pawl is in the second holding position. Thesecond contact point is spaced in a perpendicular direction from thepawl pivot axis by a second linear length. The second positioning pawlreleases the positioning ratchet to pivot in the first direction whilethe second positioning pawl is in the second releasing position. Thefirst linear length is different from the second linear length. Thepivot axis and the pawl pivot axis defines a plane. The first contactpoint and the second contact point are located on a same side of theplane with respect to the pawl pivot axis.

Advantageously according to the first aspect of the present invention,the bicycle operating device can quickly perform at least two releasingoperations.

In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention, the bicycleoperating device according to the first aspect is configured so that thefirst linear length is longer than the second linear length.

Advantageously according to the second aspect of the present invention,the bicycle operating device can efficiently perform the releasingoperations.

In accordance with a third aspect of the present invention, the bicycleoperating device according to the first or second aspect is configuredso that the first positioning pawl includes a first mounting portion anda second mounting portion. The second mounting portion is spaced apartfrom the first mounting portion in an axial direction that is parallelto the pawl pivot axis. The second positioning pawl includes a thirdmounting portion disposed between the first mounting portion and thesecond mounting portion in the axial direction.

Advantageously according to the third aspect of the present invention,the bicycle operating device can be relatively compact in the axialdirection.

In accordance with a fourth aspect of the present invention, the bicycleoperating device according to any one of the first to third aspectsfurther comprises a pivot pin pivotally supporting the first positioningpawl and the second positioning pawl.

Advantageously according to the fourth aspect of the present invention,the bicycle operating device can be made with less parts and relativelycompact.

In accordance with a fifth aspect of the present invention, the bicycleoperating device according to any one of the first to fourth aspects isconfigured so that the first positioning pawl and the second positioningpawl are configured to move independently from each other.

Advantageously according to the fifth aspect of the present invention,the bicycle operating device can efficiently perform the releasingoperations.

In accordance with a sixth aspect of the present invention, a bicycleoperating device is provided that basically comprises a base member, apositioning ratchet, a first positioning pawl and a second positioningpawl. The positioning ratchet is pivotally mounted with respect to thebase member about a pivot axis. The positioning ratchet is configured topivot in a first direction and a second direction that is opposite tothe first direction. The first positioning pawl is pivotally mountedwith respect to the base member about a pawl pivot axis between a firstholding position and a first releasing position. The second positioningpawl is pivotally mounted with respect to the base member about the pawlpivot axis between a second holding position and a second releasingposition. The first positioning pawl includes a first contact pointbeing configured to selectively contact the positioning ratchet andprevent pivoting of the positioning ratchet in the first direction aboutthe pivot axis while the first positioning pawl is in the first holdingposition. The first positioning pawl releases the positioning ratchet topivot in the first direction while the first positioning pawl is in thefirst releasing position. The second positioning pawl includes a secondcontact point being configured to selectively contact the positioningratchet and prevent pivoting of the positioning ratchet in the firstdirection about the pivot axis while the second positioning pawl is inthe second holding position. The second positioning pawl releases thepositioning ratchet to pivot in the first direction while the secondpositioning pawl is in the second releasing position. The pivot axis andthe pawl pivot axis defines a plane. The first contact point and thesecond contact point are located on a same side of the plane withrespect to the pawl pivot axis. The first positioning pawl includes afirst mounting portion and a second mounting portion. The secondmounting portion is spaced apart from the first mounting portion in anaxial direction that is parallel to the pawl pivot axis. The secondpositioning pawl includes a third mounting portion disposed between thefirst mounting portion and the second mounting portion in the axialdirection.

Advantageously according to the sixth aspect of the present invention,the bicycle operating device can quickly perform at least two releasingoperations.

In accordance with a seventh aspect of the present invention, thebicycle operating device according to any one of the first to sixthaspects further comprises at least one biasing member biasing the firstpositioning pawl toward the first holding position, and biasing thesecond positioning pawl toward the second holding position.

Advantageously according to the seventh aspect of the present invention,the bicycle operating device can efficiently perform the releasingoperations.

In accordance with an eighth aspect of the present invention, thebicycle operating device according to any one of the first to seventhaspects is configured so that the at least one biasing member includes afirst biasing member biasing the first positioning pawl toward the firstholding position, and a second biasing member biasing the secondpositioning pawl toward the second holding position. The first biasingmember is different from the second biasing member.

Advantageously according to the eighth aspect of the present invention,the first and second positioning pawls can be independently biasestoward the first and second holding positions.

In accordance with a ninth aspect of the present invention, the bicycleoperating device according to the seventh or eighth aspect furthercomprises a pin supporting the at least one biasing member.

Advantageously according to the ninth aspect of the present invention,the at least one biasing member can be located in a convenient location.

In accordance with a tenth aspect of the present invention, the bicycleoperating device according to any one of the first to ninth aspects isconfigured so that the positioning ratchet includes a plurality ofpositioning abutments circumferentially arranged with respect to thepivot axis. The first and second contact points of the first and secondpositioning pawls alternately contact the positioning abutments toprevent pivoting of the positioning ratchet in the first direction aboutthe pivot axis.

Advantageously according to the tenth aspect of the present invention,the bicycle operating device can establish a plurality of predeterminedpositions.

In accordance with an eleventh aspect of the present invention, thebicycle operating device according to any one of the first to tenthaspects further comprises a wire takeup member arranged to pivottogether with the positioning ratchet as the positioning ratchet pivotswith respect to the base member about the pivot axis.

Advantageously according to the eleventh aspect of the presentinvention, the bicycle operating device can be used to operate a cableoperated bicycle component.

In accordance with a twelfth aspect of the present invention, thebicycle operating device according to any one of the first to eleventhaspects further comprises a first operating member selectively movingthe first and second positioning pawls from the first and second holdingpositions to the first and second releasing positions, respectively, asthe first operating member moves from a first rest position to a firstactuated position.

Advantageously according to the twelfth aspect of the present invention,the bicycle operating device can be easily operated to perform thereleasing operations.

In accordance with a thirteenth aspect of the present invention, thebicycle operating device according to the twelfth aspect furthercomprises a release member and a release pawl. The release member ismovably mounted with respect to the base member between a non-releaseposition and a release position. The release member selectively movesthe first and second positioning pawls from the first and second holdingpositions to the first and second releasing positions, respectively, asthe release member moves with respect to the base member. The releasepawl is movably mounted to the first operating member. The release pawlis configured to move the release member from the non-release positionto the release position as the first operating member moves from thefirst rest position to the first actuated position.

Advantageously according to the thirteenth aspect of the presentinvention, the releasing operation can be effectively carried out.

In accordance with a fourteenth aspect of the present invention, thebicycle operating device according to the twelfth or thirteenth aspectfurther comprises a second operating member operatively coupled to thepositioning ratchet to pivot the positioning ratchet with respect to thebase member in the second direction as the second operating member movesfrom a second rest position to a second actuated position.

Advantageously according to the fourteenth aspect of the presentinvention, the bicycle operating device can be easily operated toperform a pulling operation.

In accordance with a fifteenth aspect of the present invention, thebicycle operating device according to the fourteenth aspect furthercomprises a pulling member and a pulling pawl. The pulling member ismovably mounted with respect to the base member. The pulling memberpivots the positioning ratchet in the second direction as the pullingmember moves with respect to the base member. The pulling pawl ismovably mounted on the second operating member. The pulling pawlcontacts the pulling member and moves the pulling member as the secondoperating member moves from the second rest position to the secondactuated position.

Advantageously according to the fifteenth aspect of the presentinvention, the pulling operation can be effectively carried out.

Also, other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the disclosedbicycle operating device will become apparent to those skilled in theart from the following detailed description, which, taken in conjunctionwith the annexed drawings, discloses one main embodiment of the bicycleoperating device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Referring now to the attached drawings which form a part of thisoriginal disclosure:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a portion of a handlebar with a bicycleoperating device in accordance with one illustrated embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the bicycle operating device illustrated inFIG. 1 with the housing remove to reveal the internal parts and with thefirst and second operating members being disposed in first and secondrest positions, respectively;

FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of the bicycle operating device illustratedin FIG. 1 with the housing remove to reveal the internal parts and withthe first and second operating members being disposed in the first andsecond rest positions, respectively;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the bicycle operating deviceillustrated in FIG. 1 with the housing remove to reveal the internalparts and with the first and second operating members being disposed inthe first and second rest positions, respectively;

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of selected internal parts of thebicycle operating device illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of selected internal parts of the bicycleoperating device illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of selected internal parts of the bicycleoperating device illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is a partially exploded perspective view of selected internalparts of the bicycle operating device illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 9 is a partially exploded perspective view of selected internalparts of the bicycle operating device illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 10 is a partially exploded perspective view of selected internalparts of the bicycle operating device illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 11 is a top plan view of selected internal parts of the bicycleoperating device illustrated in FIG. 1 that shows a second positioningpawl engaged with a positioning abutment of the positioning ratchet toestablish one of a plurality of predetermined positions of a wire takeupmember;

FIG. 12 is a top plan view, similar to FIG. 11, of the selected internalparts illustrated in FIG. 11, but with the positioning ratchet and thewire takeup member rotated such that a first positioning pawl is engagedwith a different positioning abutment of the positioning ratchet toestablish another one of the plurality of predetermined positions;

FIG. 13 is a bottom plan view of selected internal parts of the bicycleoperating device illustrated in FIG. 1 that shows engagement of apulling pawl with a pulling member when the first and second operatingmembers are disposed in the first and second rest positions,respectively;

FIG. 14 is a bottom plan view, similar to FIG. 13, of selected internalparts of the bicycle operating device illustrated in FIG. 1 that showsthe pulling pawl disengaged from the pulling member when the firstoperating member is in a first actuated position and the secondoperating member is in the second rest position;

FIG. 15 is a top plan view of selected internal parts of the bicycleoperating device illustrated in FIG. 1 with the first and secondoperating members being disposed in the first and second rest positions,respectively;

FIG. 16 is a top plan view of selected internal parts of the bicycleoperating device illustrated in FIG. 1 with the first and secondoperating members being disposed in the first and second rest positions,respectively;

FIG. 17 is a top plan view of selected internal parts of the bicycleoperating device illustrated in FIG. 1 with the first operating membermoved from the first rest position to a partially actuated position forstarting a releasing operation by movement of the first operating memberin a first (operating) direction such that a first pawl part of arelease pawl engages a release tooth of a first release member;

FIG. 18 is a top plan view similar to FIG. 17, of selected internalparts of the bicycle operating device illustrated in FIG. 1 but withadditional parts removed;

FIG. 19 is a top plan view of selected internal parts of the bicycleoperating device illustrated in FIG. 1 with the first operating membermoved farther in the first (operating) direction from the position shownin FIGS. 17 and 18 such that the first release member is pivotedrelative to the positioning ratchet to pivot the first positioning pawlout of engagement with the positioning ratchet and to pivot the secondrelease member for disengaging the pulling pawl from the pulling member;

FIG. 20 is a top plan view similar to FIG. 19, of selected internalparts of the bicycle operating device illustrated in FIG. 1 but withadditional parts removed;

FIG. 21 is a top plan view of selected internal parts of the bicycleoperating device illustrated in FIG. 1 with the first operating membermoved farther in the first (operating) direction from the position shownin FIGS. 19 and 20 such that the positioning ratchet pivots relative tothe first release member;

FIG. 22 is a top plan view similar to FIG. 21, of selected internalparts of the bicycle operating device illustrated in FIG. 1 but withadditional parts removed;

FIG. 23 is a top plan view of selected internal parts of the bicycleoperating device illustrated in FIG. 1 with the first operating membermoved farther in the first (operating) direction from the position shownin FIGS. 21 and 22 such that the positioning ratchet and the firstrelease member pivot in the first (releasing) direction to engage thesecond positioning pawl;

FIG. 24 is a top plan view similar to FIG. 23, of selected internalparts of the bicycle operating device illustrated in FIG. 1 but withadditional parts removed;

FIG. 25 is a top plan view of selected internal parts of the bicycleoperating device illustrated in FIG. 1 with the first and secondoperating members being disposed in the first and second rest positions,respectively, and the second positioning pawl engaged with thepositioning ratchet to establish one of the plurality of predeterminedpositions;

FIG. 26 is a top plan view of selected internal parts of the bicycleoperating device illustrated in FIG. 1 with the first operating membermoved from the first rest position to a partially actuated position forstarting a releasing operation by movement of the first operating memberin the first (operating) direction such that a second pawl part of therelease pawl engages a release tooth of the first release member andsuch that the first release member pivots relative to the positioningratchet to pivot the second positioning pawl out of engagement with thepositioning ratchet and to pivot the second release member fordisengaging the pulling pawl from the pulling member;

FIG. 27 is a top plan view of selected internal parts of the bicycleoperating device illustrated in FIG. 1 with the first operating membermoved farther in the first (operating) direction from the position shownin FIG. 26 such that the positioning ratchet pivots relative to thefirst release member;

FIG. 28 is a bottom plan view of selected internal parts of the bicycleoperating device illustrated in FIG. 1 with the first operating memberin the actuated position shown in FIGS. 26 and 27 such that the secondrelease member pivot the pulling pawl for disengaging the pulling pawlfrom the pulling member;

FIG. 29 is a top plan view of selected internal parts of the bicycleoperating device illustrated in FIG. 1 with the first operating membermoved back to the first rest position after the positioning ratchetpivots relative to the first release member and the first positioningpawl engages the positioning ratchet;

FIG. 30 is a top plan view similar to FIG. 29, of selected internalparts of the bicycle operating device illustrated in FIG. 1 but withadditional parts removed;

FIG. 31 is a top plan view of selected internal parts of the bicycleoperating device illustrated in FIG. 1 with the second operating memberin the second rest position;

FIG. 32 is a top plan view, similar to FIG. 31, of selected internalparts of the bicycle operating device illustrated in FIG. 1 with thesecond operating member moved from the second rest position to start apulling operation; and

FIG. 33 is a top plan view of selected internal parts of the bicycleoperating device illustrated in FIG. 1 but with the second operatingmember moved back to the second rest position from the second actuatedposition shown in FIG. 32 with the wire takeup member and thepositioning ratchet in another one of the plurality of predeterminedpositions.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

Selected embodiments will now be explained with reference to thedrawings. It will be apparent to those skilled in the bicycle field fromthis disclosure that the following descriptions of the embodiments areprovided for illustration only and not for the purpose of limiting theinvention as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Referring initially to FIG. 1, a bicycle operating device 10 isillustrated in accordance with one illustrated embodiment. Here, thebicycle operating device 10 is configured to be mounted to a right sideof a handlebar H so as to be operated by rider's right hand. In theillustrated embodiment, the bicycle operating device 10 is configured tobe operatively coupled to a bicycle component (not shown) via a controlcable 12. More specifically, the bicycle operating device 10 isconfigured as a shifter for controlling the gear positions of a reargear changing device such as a derailleur or an internally geared hub.However, the bicycle operating device 10 can be configured as a bicyclecontrol device for operating other types of bicycle components (e.g.,suspension devices, seatposts, etc.) as needed and/or desired.

Also, the bicycle operating device 10 can be modified to be mounted onthe left side of a handlebar H. Thus, two bicycle operating devicescould be provided on opposite ends of the handlebar H. In such a case,one of the bicycle operating devices would be used to operate a firstbicycle component and the other of the bicycle operating devices wouldbe used to operate a second bicycle component. When the bicycleoperating devices are configured as gear shifters, the two bicycleoperating devices could be essentially identical in operation, exceptthat they would be mirror images of each other, and they may have adifferent number of actuation (shift) positions.

Preferably, as seen in FIG. 1, the control cable 12 is a conventionalbicycle operating cable that has an outer case 12 a covering an innerwire 12 b. In other words, the control cable 12 is a Bowden type cablein which the inner wire 12 b is slidably received within the outer case12 a. The bicycle operating device 10 operates the bicycle component(not shown) by selectively pulling and releasing the inner wire 12 b.

As seen in FIG. 1, the bicycle operating device 10 includes a housing 14and a handlebar clamp 16. The housing 14 encloses a cable positionmaintaining mechanism of the bicycle operating device 10 that holds theinner wire 12 b at various predetermined positions as discussed below.The housing 14 also encloses a cable releasing mechanism and a cablepulling mechanism of the bicycle operating device 10 that releases andpulls the inner wire 12 b, respectively, between the variouspredetermined positions as discussed below. Here, for example, thehousing 14 has a two-piece construction having a pair of housing partsthat are fastened together by a plurality of screws. The housing partsare hard rigid members constructed of a suitable material such as a hardplastic or a lightweight metal. However, the housing 14 can have avariety of configurations as needed and/or desired. As seen in FIG. 1,the handlebar clamp 16 is integrally formed with one of the housingparts. Alternatively, the handlebar clamp 16 can be a separate part thatis fastened to the housing 14 (e.g., by a threaded fastener). Thehandlebar clamp 16 is a conventional tube clamp that constitutes anexample of a handlebar mounting member. Here, the handlebar clamp 16includes a tightening bolt 18 or other tightening members that areconfigured to squeeze the handlebar clamp 16 onto the handlebar H.Preferably, the bicycle operating device 10 includes a cable adjuster 20for adjusting the inner wire 12 b in a conventional manner.

As seen in FIGS. 2 to 4, the bicycle operating device 10 furthercomprises a base member 22. The base member 22 is considered to includethe housing 14, the handlebar clamp 16, and an internal supportstructure that basically supports various internal parts of the cableposition maintaining mechanism, the cable releasing mechanism and thecable pulling mechanism. This internal support structure includes afirst or top stationary support plate 24, a second or bottom stationarysupport plate 26, a third or middle stationary support plate 28 and asupport shaft 30. The stationary support plates 24, 26 and 28 are rigidplates that are made of a suitable material such as, for example, ametallic material. Here, the support shaft 30 includes a bolt 30A and anut 30B (FIG. 3). The bolt 30A of the support shaft 30 has alongitudinal axis that defines a first pivot axis (pivot axis) P1. Thebase member 22 is fixedly coupled to a bicycle part (e.g., the handlebarH in the illustrated embodiment).

As seen in FIGS. 1 to 4, the bicycle operating device 10 furthercomprises a first operating member 31. The first operating member 31 isused to release the inner wire 12 b from the housing 14. The firstoperating member 31 is movably mounted with respect to the base member22 between a first rest position (FIGS. 1, 2, 15, and 16) and a firstactuated position (FIGS. 17 to 24 and 26 to 29). As explained below, thefirst operating member 31 has at least two of the first actuatedpositions. Also the bicycle operating device 10 further comprises asecond operating member 32. The second operating member 32 is used topull the inner wire 12 b into the housing 14. The second operatingmember 32 is configured to move with respect to the base member 22 froma second rest position (FIGS. 1, 2, 31 and 33) to a second actuatedposition (FIG. 32). The first and second operating members 31 and 32release and pull the inner wire 12 b with respect to the housing 14 inresponse to operation of the first and second operating members 31 and32 as discussed below.

As seen in FIG. 1, the first operating member 31 includes a useroperating part 31 a that is completely located outside of the housing 14for the user or rider to pivot the first operating member 31 withrespect to the housing 14. As seen in FIGS. 4 and 8, the first operatingmember 31 further includes a mounting part 31 b that is configured to belocated inside of the housing 14 and movably mounted to the internalsupport structure (e.g., the top stationary support plate 24 and themiddle stationary support plate 28 as in the illustrated embodiment).The second operating member 32 includes a user operating part 32 a thatis completely located outside of the housing 14 for the user or rider topivot the second operating member 32 with respect to the housing 14. Asseen in FIGS. 4 and 8, the second operating member 32 further includes amounting part 32 b that is located inside of the housing 14 and movablymounted to the internal support structure (e.g., the support shaft 30 asin the illustrated embodiment).

The first and second operating members 31 and 32 are configured astrigger levers that are biased towards the first and second restpositions, respectively, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 and 8. In particular,as seen in FIG. 8, a first biasing element 33 is operatively providedbetween the first operating member 31 and the top stationary supportplate 24 so that the first operating member 31 is return to the firstrest position after being operated and released by the user. Similarly,a second biasing element 34 is operatively provided between the secondoperating member 32 and the bottom stationary support plate 26 so thatthe second operating member 32 is return to the second rest positionafter being operated and released by the user. Thus, as trigger levers,the first and second operating members 31 and 32 automatically return totheir rest or home positions after being operated and then released bythe user.

In the case of the bicycle operating device 10 being used as a shiftingdevice, the first and second operating members 31 and 32 constitutesshift levers. The first operating member 31 constitutes a release leverfor releasing the inner wire 12 b from the housing 14 as the firstoperating member 31 is moved by the user from the first rest position(FIGS. 1, 2, 15, and 16) to a first actuated position (FIGS. 17 to 24and 26 to 29). On the other hand, the second operating member 32constitutes a pulling lever for pulling the inner wire 12 b into thehousing 14 as the second operating member 32 is moved by the user fromthe second rest position to a second actuated position. The first andsecond operating members 31 and 32 also constitute user operating leversof the bicycle operating device 10.

As explained later, the first operating member 31 can be operated fromthe first rest position to one of the first actuated positions bypivoting the first operating member 31 in a first direction D1 about thefirst pivot axis P1, while the second operating member 32 can beoperated from the second rest position to the second actuated positionby pivoting the second operating member 32 in a second direction D2about the first pivot axis P1. The second direction D2 is opposite tothe first direction D1. As explained later, the first operating member31 can also be operated from the first rest position to another one ofthe first actuated positions by pivoting the first operating member 31in a third direction D3 about an operating axis A1.

In the illustrated embodiment, the bicycle operating device 10 isparticularly useful for operating a cable operated bicycle component.Thus, in the illustrated embodiment, the bicycle operating device 10further comprises a wire takeup member 35. Referring to FIGS. 4, 8 and10 the wire takeup member 35 has a cable nipple abutment 35 a forcontacting a cable nipple 12 c of the inner wire 12 b such that theinner wire 12 b moves as the wire takeup member 35 moves. The wiretakeup member 35 is pivotally mounted on the support shaft 30 to releaseor pull the inner wire 12 b depending on the pivotal direction of thewire takeup member 35. As explained below, the wire takeup member 35 isbiased in the first direction D1. Here, the wire takeup member 35releases the inner wire 12 b from the housing 14 as the wire takeupmember 35 pivots in the first direction D1 in response to operation ofthe first operating member 31. Thus, in the illustrated embodiment, thefirst direction D1 is a wire releasing direction of the wire takeupmember 35. On the other hand, the wire takeup member 35 pulls the innerwire 12 b into the housing 14 as the wire takeup member 35 pivots in thesecond direction D2 in response to operation of the second operatingmember 32. Thus, in the illustrated embodiment, the second direction D2is a wire pulling direction of the wire takeup member 35. In theillustrated embodiment, the wire takeup member 35 is a spool that isrotatably mounted on the support shaft 30. The wire takeup member 35 isa rigid part that is made of a suitable material such as, for example, ahard non-metallic material.

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 8, the first operating member 31 is movablyattached to the top and middle stationary support plates 24 and 28 by apivot pin 36. The pivot pin 36 is disposed in an arc shaped slot 31 chaving a center of curvature located at or substantially at the firstpivot axis P1. The pivot pin 36 defines the operating axis A1. Here, asseen in FIGS. 8 and 9, the bicycle operating device 10 further comprisesan internal operating part 38 that is pivotally mounted with respect tothe base member 22 about the first pivot axis P1. The first operatingmember 31 cooperates with the internal operating part 38 such that thefirst operating member 31 can be operated by the rider either in thefirst direction D1 about the first pivot axis P1 or in the thirddirection D3 about the operating axis A1. Basically, operation of thefirst operating member 31 pivots the internal operating part 38 in thefirst direction D1 about the first pivot axis P1. Thus, the internaloperating part 38 is movably mounted with respect to the base member 22between a rest position and an actuated position. The internal operatingpart 38 can further be considered a first operating member that can beintegrally formed with the first operating member 31.

As the first operating member 31 is operated in the first direction D1,the first operating member 31 and the internal operating part 38 pivottogether about the first pivot axis P1 as an integrated unit so thatthere is practically no relative movement between the first operatingmember 31 and the internal operating part 38. On the other hand, as thefirst operating member 31 is operated in the third direction D3, thefirst operating member 31 pivots about the operating axis A1 and theinternal operating part 38 pivots about the first pivot axis P1 in thefirst direction D1. The bi-directional releasing operation of the firstoperating member 31 and the internal operating part 38 is basically thesame as the bi-directional releasing operation that is disclosed in moredetail in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0210342, which isassigned to Shimano, Inc. Thus, the interacting structure between thefirst operating member 31 and the internal operating part 38 will not bediscussed in further detail for the sake of brevity.

Of course, alternatively, the first operating member 31 can beconfigured such that the first operating member 31 can be pivoted inonly one direction to perform a releasing operation. In other words, theinternal operating part 38 and the first operating member 31 can beformed as a single piece if it is desirable for the first operatingmember 31 to be operated only in a single direction.

In both cases, the first biasing element 33 functions as a return springfor returning the first operating member 31 and the internal operatingpart 38 from their actuated positions back to their rest positions,respectively. As a result, the first operating member 31 is a triggermember that returns to its rest position upon being operated andreleased. In particular, the first biasing element 33 is a flat coiltorsion spring that is coiled about the bolt 30A of the support shaft30. A first end part 33 a of the first biasing element 33 is attached tothe internal operating part 38 (i.e., disposed in an opening of theinternal operating part 38). A second end part 33 b of the first biasingelement 33 is attached to the base member 22 (i.e., hooked onto the topstationary support plate 24). The first biasing element 33 biases theinternal operating part 38 in the second direction D2, which in turnbiases the first operating member 31 in the second direction D2 againstthe pivot pin 36. The first operating member 31 has a pair ofprojections that contact the internal operating part 38 to maintain thefirst operating member 31 in the rest position. In other words, thefirst operating member 31 is effectively biased in a fourth direction D4about the operating axis A1. In this way, the first operating member 31and the internal operating part 38 are stationary and held from freelymoving while the first operating member 31 is urged to the first restposition by the biasing force of the first biasing element 33.

Referring to FIGS. 5 to 10, the position maintaining mechanism will nowbe discussed. The position maintaining mechanism is used for holding theinner wire 12 b while the first and second operating members 31 and 32are in their rest positions. In particular, in the illustratedembodiment, the bicycle operating device 10 further comprises apositioning ratchet 40, a first positioning pawl 41 and a secondpositioning pawl 42. Thus, the positioning ratchet 40, the firstpositioning pawl 41 and the second positioning pawl 42 are the primaryparts used in the position maintaining mechanism of the bicycleoperating device 10 of the illustrated embodiment.

As best seen in FIGS. 9 and 10, the positioning ratchet 40 is basicallya rigid plate that is made of a suitable material such as, for example,a metallic material. The positioning ratchet 40 includes a plurality ofpositioning abutments 40 a that are circumferentially arranged withrespect to the first pivot axis P1. The first and second positioningpawls 41 and 42 alternately contact the positioning abutments 40 a toprevent pivoting of the positioning ratchet 40 in the first direction D1about the first pivot axis P1. As explained below, the positioningratchet 40 is fixed to the wire takeup member 35 so that the wire takeupmember 35 and the positioning ratchet 40 pivot together as a unit aboutthe first pivot axis P1. Basically, the positioning ratchet 40 ispivotally mounted with respect to the base member 22 about the firstpivot axis P1. Specifically, the positioning ratchet 40 is configured topivot in the first direction D1 and the second direction D2. Morespecifically, the positioning ratchet 40 is pivotally mounted on thebolt 30A of the support shaft 30.

The first operating member 31 is operatively coupled to the positioningratchet 40 to pivot the positioning ratchet 40 with respect to the basemember 22 in the first direction D1 as the first operating member 31moves from the first rest position to one of the first actuatedpositions. On the other hand, the second operating member 32 isoperatively coupled to the positioning ratchet 40 to pivot thepositioning ratchet 40 with respect to the base member 22 in the seconddirection D2 as the second operating member 32 moves from the secondrest position to the second actuated position.

Generally, the bicycle operating device 10 comprises a positioningmember 43. In the illustrated embodiment, the positioning member 43includes the first positioning pawl 41 and the second positioning pawl42. However, the positioning member 43 can be a single positioning pawlif needed and/or desired. Here, the positioning member 43 is movablymounted with respect to the base member 22 between a holding positionand a releasing position. Specifically, the positioning member 43 ispivotally mounted with respect to the base member 22 about a secondpivot axis P2 between a holding position and a releasing position. Morespecifically, the internal operating part 38 is operatively coupled tothe positioning member 43 to selectively move the positioning member 43from the holding position to the releasing position as the internaloperating part 38 moves from the rest position to the actuated position.In the illustrated embodiment, the first operating member 31 pivots theinternal operating part 38 to selectively move the positioning member 43from the holding position to the releasing position as the internaloperating part 38 moves from the rest position to the actuated position.Basically, the positioning member 43 prevents pivoting of thepositioning ratchet 40 in the first direction D1 about the first pivotaxis P1 while the positioning member 43 is in the holding position. Thepositioning member 43 releases the positioning ratchet 40 to pivot inthe first direction D1 while the positioning member 43 is in thereleasing position.

Here, in the illustrated embodiment, the first positioning pawl 41 ismovably mounted with respect to the base member 22 between a firstholding position and a first releasing position. Similarly, the secondpositioning pawl 42 is movably mounted with respect to the base member22 between a second holding position and a second releasing position.Specifically, the first positioning pawl 41 is pivotally mounted withrespect to the base member 22 about a pawl pivot axis (i.e., the secondpivot axis P2) between the first holding position and the firstreleasing position. The second positioning pawl 42 is pivotally mountedwith respect to the base member 22 about the second (pawl) pivot axis P2between the second holding position and the second releasing position.The first operating member 31 selectively moves the first and secondpositioning pawls 41 and 42 from the first and second holding positionsto the first and second releasing positions, respectively, as the firstoperating member 31 moves from the first rest position to the firstactuated position. In this way, the first and second positioning pawls41 and 42 selectively hold and release the positioning ratchet 40.Basically, only one of first and second positioning pawls 41 and 42engages one of the positioning abutments 40 a at any given time. Moreparticularly, the first and second positioning pawls 41 and 42alternately move into engagement with one of the positioning abutments40 a of the positioning ratchet 40 as the positioning ratchet 40 movesfrom one of the predetermined positions to the next one of thepredetermined positions.

As best seen in FIGS. 6, 7 and 10 to 12, the first positioning pawl 41and the second positioning pawl 42 are configured to move independentlyfrom each other. In the illustrated embodiment, the bicycle operatingdevice 10 further comprises a pivot pin 44 that pivotally supports thefirst positioning pawl 41 and the second positioning pawl 42. The firstpositioning pawl 41 includes a first mounting portion 41 a and a secondmounting portion 41 b. The second mounting portion 41 b is spaced apartfrom the first mounting portion 41 a in an axial direction that isparallel to the second (pawl) pivot axis P2. As best seen in FIG. 7, thesecond positioning pawl 42 includes a third mounting portion 42 a thatis disposed between the first mounting portion 41 a and the secondmounting portion 41 b in the axial direction. Thus, the pivot pin 44defines the second pivot axis P2, which is parallel to the first pivotaxis P1 and the operating axis A1.

Still referring to FIGS. 6, 7 and 10 to 12, the bicycle operating device10 further comprises at least one biasing member biasing the firstpositioning pawl 41 toward the first holding position, and biasing thesecond positioning pawl 42 toward the second holding position. In theillustrated embodiment, the at least one biasing member includes a firstbiasing member 46 and a second biasing member 48. The bicycle operatingdevice 10 further comprises a pin 50 that supports the at least onebiasing member (i.e., the first and second biasing members 46 and 48 inthe illustrated embodiment). The first biasing member 46 biases thefirst positioning pawl 41 toward the first holding position. In otherwords, the first biasing member 46 biases the first positioning pawl 41towards a peripheral edge of the positioning ratchet 40 into engagementwith one of the positioning abutments 40 a of the positioning ratchet40. The second biasing member 48 biases the second positioning pawl 42toward the second holding position. In other words, the second biasingmember 48 biases the second positioning pawl 42 towards the peripheraledge of the positioning ratchet 40 into engagement with one of thepositioning abutments 40 a of the positioning ratchet 40.

The first biasing member 46 is different from the second biasing member48. In particular, the first and second biasing members 46 and 48 arecoil torsion springs that are coiled about the pin 50. The first biasingmember 46 has one end 46 a engaged with (i.e., hooked onto) the bottomstationary support plate 26 and the other end 46 b engaged with (i.e.,contacting) the first positioning pawl 41. On the other hand, the secondbiasing member 48 has one end 48 a engaged with (i.e., hooked onto) themiddle stationary support plate 28 and the other end 48 b engaged with(i.e., contacting) the second positioning pawl 42. However, the firstand second biasing members 46 and 48 can be formed a single biasingmember that biases both of the first and second positioning pawls 41 and42 towards engagement with the positioning ratchet 40.

As seen in FIG. 12, the first positioning pawl 41 prevents pivoting ofthe positioning ratchet 40 in the first direction D1 about the firstpivot axis P1 while the first positioning pawl 41 is in the firstholding position. As seen in FIGS. 20 and 22, the first positioning pawl41 releases the positioning ratchet 40 to pivot in the first directionD1 while the first positioning pawl 41 is in the first releasingposition. The first positioning pawl 41 releases the positioning ratchet40 to pivot in the first direction D1 while the first positioning pawl41 is in the first releasing position until the positioning ratchet 40contacts the second positioning pawl 42. Similarly, as seen in FIG. 11,the second positioning pawl 42 prevents pivoting of the positioningratchet 40 in the first direction D1 about the first pivot axis P1 whilethe second positioning pawl 42 is in the second holding position. Asseen in FIGS. 27 and 28, the second positioning pawl 42 releases thepositioning ratchet 40 to pivot in the first direction D1 while thesecond positioning pawl 42 is in the second releasing position. Thesecond positioning pawl 42 releases the positioning ratchet 40 to pivotin the first direction D1 while the second positioning pawl 42 is in thesecond releasing position until the positioning ratchet 40 contacts thefirst positioning pawl 41.

As seen in FIG. 12, the first positioning pawl 41 includes a firstcontact point CP1 being configured to selectively contact thepositioning ratchet 40 and prevent pivoting of the positioning ratchet40 in the first direction D1 about the first pivot axis P1 while thefirst positioning pawl 41 is in the first holding position. As seen inFIG. 11, the second positioning pawl 42 includes a second contact pointCP2 being configured to selectively contact the positioning ratchet 40and prevent pivoting of the positioning ratchet 40 in the firstdirection D1 about the first pivot axis P1 while the second positioningpawl 42 is in the second holding position. The first and second contactpoints CP1 and CP2 of the first and second positioning pawls 41 and 42alternately contact the positioning abutments 40 a to prevent pivotingof the positioning ratchet 40 in the first direction D1 about the firstpivot axis P1.

The first contact point CP1 is spaced in a perpendicular direction fromthe second (pawl) pivot axis P2 by a first linear length L1. The secondcontact point CP2 is spaced in a perpendicular direction from the second(pawl) pivot axis P2 by a second linear length L2. The first linearlength L1 is different from the second linear length L2. The firstlinear length L1 is longer than the second linear length L2. The firstpivot axis P1 and the second (pawl) pivot axis P2 defines a plane PL.The first contact point CP1 and the second contact point CP2 are locatedon a same side of the plane PL with respect to the second (pawl) pivotaxis P2.

Preferably, as seen in FIG. 9, the bicycle operating device 10 furthercomprises a biasing element 52 that is provided for biasing the wiretakeup member 35 and the positioning ratchet 40 in the first directionD1 (the wire releasing direction) with respect to the housing 14. Asexplained above, the positioning ratchet 40 pivots with the wire takeupmember 35, and selectively cooperates with the first and secondpositioning pawls 41 and 42 to maintain the wire takeup member 35 in oneof a plurality of predetermined positions against the biasing force ofthe biasing element 52. In other words, to establish the predeterminedpositions, the positioning abutments 40 a of the positioning ratchet 40are selectively engaged by the first and second positioning pawls 41 and42 to hold the wire takeup member 35 and the positioning ratchet 40 fromrotating under the biasing force of the biasing element 52.

In the illustrated embodiment, the biasing element 52 is a flat coiltorsion spring that is coiled about the bolt 30A of the support shaft30. Alternatively, the biasing element 52 can be eliminated and the wiretakeup member 35 can be biased in the first direction D1 by a spring ofthe bicycle component that is operated by the bicycle operating device10. Basically, operation of the first operating member 31 releases thewire takeup member 35 such that the biasing element 52 (i.e., a torsionspring) pivots the wire takeup member 35 in the first direction D1 asthe first operating member 31 is moved by the user from the first restposition to one of the first actuated positions.

Here, as seen in FIG. 10, the wire takeup member 35 is non-movablycoupled to the positioning ratchet 40 by a pair of fixing pins 54. Inparticular, the fixing pins 54 are disposed in two bores 35 b of thewire takeup member 35 and in two bores 40 b of the positioning ratchet40 to prevent relative movement between the wire takeup member 35 andthe positioning ratchet 40 around the first pivot axis P1. In this way,the wire takeup member 35 is arranged to pivot together with thepositioning ratchet 40 as the positioning ratchet 40 pivots with respectto the base member 22 about the first pivot axis P1. In other words, thepositioning ratchet 40 is configured to pivot with the wire takeupmember 35 between the plurality of predetermined positions, which areestablished by selective engagement of one of the first and secondpositioning pawls 41 and 42 with the positioning ratchet 40. Thepositioning ratchet 40 also includes a cable nipple attachment portion40 c for receiving the cable nipple 12 c (see FIG. 4). When the bicycleoperating device 10 is a bicycle shifter, as shown, the predeterminedpositions of the maintaining arrangement correspond to predeterminedshift positions. Thus, the positioning ratchet 40, the first positioningpawl 41 and the second positioning pawl 42 basically form the cableposition maintaining mechanism of the bicycle operating device 10.

Referring to 10, to release the positioning ratchet 40 and the wiretakeup member 35 for pivoting on the bolt 30A of the support shaft 30 inthe first direction D1, the bicycle operating device 10 furthercomprises a first release member 56 and a release pawl 58. On the otherhand, to pivot the positioning ratchet 40 and the wire takeup member 35in the second direction D2, the bicycle operating device 10 furthercomprises a pulling member 60 and a pulling pawl 62 (see FIG. 8). Thebicycle operating device 10 further comprises a second release member64. The second release member 64 is arranged to move the pulling pawl 62away from the pulling member 60 during a releasing operation.

Referring again to FIGS. 9 and 10, the first release member 56 isbasically a rigid plate that is made of a suitable material such as, forexample, a metallic material. The positioning ratchet 40 is positionedbetween the pulling member 60 and the first release member 56 along thefirst pivot axis P1. Basically, the first release member 56 is movablymounted to selectively cooperate with the first and second positioningpawls 41 and 42 to release the wire takeup member 35 for rotationalmovement in the first direction D1 about the first pivot axis P1. Thefirst release member 56 includes a plurality of release teeth 56 a.Thus, the first release member 56 constitutes a release ratchet. Therelease teeth 56 a are selectively engaged by the release pawl 58 tomove the first release member 56 in the second direction D2 as the firstoperating member 31 moves from the first rest position to one of thefirst actuated positions. As a result, the first release member 56 ismovably mounted with respect to the base member 22. As seen in FIG. 5,the first release member 56 is positioned on the first axial side 51 ofthe positioning ratchet 40. The first release member 56 moves thepositioning member 43 from the holding position to the releasingposition as the first release member 56 moves with respect to the basemember 22. Specifically, the first release member 56 selectively movesthe first and second positioning pawls 41 and 42 from the first andsecond holding positions to the first and second releasing positions,respectively, as the first release member 56 moves with respect to thebase member 22.

Referring to FIGS. 18, 20 and 22, the first release member 56 isbasically coupled to the positioning ratchet 40 with a small amount ofrotational play between the first release member 56 and the positioningratchet 40. Since the positioning ratchet 40 is fixed to the wire takeupmember 35, the first release member 56 is movably coupled to thepositioning ratchet 40 to move in the first direction D1 within aprescribed range relative to the positioning ratchet 40 between anon-release position (FIG. 18) and a release position (FIG. 20). Thefirst release member 56 alternatively holds one of the first and secondpositioning pawls 41 and 42 out of engagement with the positioningabutments 40 a of the positioning ratchet 40 while the first releasemember 56 is in the release position.

Referring to FIGS. 10 to 12, two biasing members 68 are disposed betweenthe first release member 56 and the positioning ratchet 40 for biasingthe first release member 56 to the non-release position. In theillustrated embodiment, the biasing members 68 are compression springsthat are disposed in openings 40 d of the positioning ratchet 40 andopenings 56 b of the first release member 56. The first release member56 alternately moves the first positioning pawl 41 towards the firstreleasing position and moves the second positioning pawl 42 towards thesecond releasing position as the first release member 56 moves in thefirst direction D1.

Referring to FIGS. 10 to 12, the first release member 56 has a pair ofarc-shaped openings 56 c that mates with an upper end of the fixing pins54. The arc-shaped openings 56 c are configured so that the firstrelease member 56 can pivot relative to the wire takeup member 35 withina prescribed range during a releasing operation of the first operatingmember 31 as mentioned above. Due to the biasing members 68 biasing thefirst release member 56 to the non-release position, the first releasemember 56 is configured to move in the second direction D2 in responseto a rotation of the wire takeup member 35 in the second direction D2 asa result of the operation of the second operating member 32.

As seen in FIGS. 15 to 30, the release pawl 58 is movably mounted withrespect to the base member 22. Specifically, the release pawl 58 ismovably mounted to the first operating member 31 via the internaloperating part 38 for carrying out the releasing operation as explainedbelow. In the illustrated embodiment, the first operating member 31pivots the internal operating part 38 to selectively move the releasepawl 58 as the internal operating part 38 moves from the rest positionto the actuated position. The release pawl 58 then pivots the firstrelease member 56 about the first pivot axis P1. Thus, the internaloperating part 38 moves the release pawl 58 as the internal operatingpart 38 moves from the rest position to the actuated position. In thisway, the internal operating part 38 is configured to move the releasepawl 58 as the internal operating part 38 moves with respect to the basemember 22. As a result, the release pawl 58 moves the first releasemember 56 as the release pawl 58 moves with respect to the base member22.

In the illustrated embodiment, as seen in FIG. 10, the release pawl 58includes a first pawl part 58 a and a second pawl part 58 b. The firstand second pawl parts 58 a and 58 b are configured to selectivelycontact with the first release member 56 as the release pawl 58 moveswith respect to the base member 22. The release pawl 58 is pivotallymounted with respect to the internal operating part 38 about a releasepivot axis A2. In the illustrated embodiment, the release pawl 58 ispivotally mounted on the internal operating part 38 by a pivot pin 70that defines the release pivot axis A2 which is parallel to the firstpivot axis P1, the second pivot axis P2 and the operating axis A1. As aresult, the release pawl 58 is pivotally mounted with respect to thebase member 22 about the first pivot axis P1. Basically, the releasepawl 58 is configured to move the first release member 56 from thenon-release position to the release position as the first operatingmember 31 moves from the first rest position to the first actuatedposition.

Preferably, as in the illustrated embodiment, the release pawl 58 isbiased by a biasing element 72 (e.g., a coil torsion spring) radiallytowards the first pivot axis P1. Thus, the release pawl 58 is biased bythe biasing element 72 so as to engage with the release teeth 56 a uponmovement of the first operating member 31 from the first rest positionto the first actuated position. However, the release pawl 58 is helddisengaged from the release teeth 56 a while the first operating member31 is in the first rest position. In particular, an abutment 58 c of therelease pawl 58 is pushed against the middle stationary support plate 28by the biasing force of the first biasing element 33 so as to pivot therelease pawl 58 outwardly from the release teeth 56 a while the firstoperating member 31 is in the first rest position. In other words, theabutment 58 c (FIG. 15) of the release pawl 58 is forced into contactwith the middle stationary support plate 28 by the biasing force of thefirst biasing element 33 acting on the internal operating part 38.According to this contact, while the first operating member 31 is in thefirst rest position, the release pawl 58 is pivoted outwardly on thepivot pin 70 away from the first release member 56.

Here, the second pawl part 58 b is circumferentially spaced from thefirst pawl part 58 a with respect to the first pivot axis P1. Thus, thefirst pawl part 58 a and the second pawl part 58 b are different fromeach other. The first release member 56 moves the first positioning pawl41 from the first holding position to the first releasing position whilethe first pawl part 58 a contacts the first release member 56 and therelease pawl 58 moves the first release member 56 from the non-releaseposition to the release position. The first release member 56 moves thesecond positioning pawl 42 from the second holding position to thesecond releasing position while the second pawl part 58 b contacts thefirst release member 56 and the release pawl 58 moves the first releasemember 56 from the non-release position to the release position.

One of the release teeth 56 a is configured to contact with the firstpawl part 58 a of the release pawl 58 and the second pawl part 58 b ofthe release pawl 58. The one of the release teeth 56 a is configured tocontact with the first positioning pawl 41 and the second positioningpawl 42.

Now, the pulling member 60 and the pulling pawl 62 will be discussed forperforming a wire pulling operation, which is shown in FIGS. 31 to 33.First, referring to FIGS. 8, 13 and 14, the pulling member 60 is movablymounted with respect to the base member 22. Specifically, the pullingmember 60 is pivotally mounted on the bolt 30A of the support shaft 30to pivot with respect to the base member 22. As seen in FIG. 8, thepulling pawl 62 is movably mounted on the second operating member 32. Inparticular, the second operating member 32 movably supports the pullingpawl 62 to pull the inner wire 12 b into the housing 14 by pivoting thepulling member 60. The pulling member 60 pivots the positioning ratchet40 in the second direction D2 as the pulling member 60 moves withrespect to the base member 22.

The pulling member 60 includes a plurality of pulling teeth 60 a thatare selectively engaged by the pulling pawl 62. Thus, the pulling member60 constitutes a pulling ratchet. The pulling member 60 also includes acable nipple attachment portion 60 c for receiving the cable nipple 12 c(see FIG. 4). During operation of the second operating member 32, thepulling pawl 62 engages the pulling teeth 60 a and pivots thepositioning ratchet 40 and the wire takeup member 35 in the seconddirection D2 (the wire pulling direction) as the second operating member32 moves from the second rest position to the second actuated position.In particular, the pulling member 60 is fixed to the positioning ratchet40 by the fixing pins 54 which extend into a pair of bores 60 d of thepulling member 60 (see FIG. 10). As a result, the positioning ratchet 40and the pulling member 60 move together as a unit about the first pivotaxis P1.

Since the pulling member 60 is attached to the positioning ratchet 40,the biasing element 52 biases the wire takeup member 35, the positioningratchet 40 and the pulling member 60 in the first direction D1. A firstend part 52 a of the biasing element 52 is attached to the bottomstationary support plate 26 (i.e., hooked onto a portion of the bottomstationary support plate 26 in the case of the illustrated embodiment).A second end part 52 b of the biasing element 52 is operatively coupledto the wire takeup member 35 (i.e., disposed in a hole of the pullingmember 60, which is non-movably attached to the bottom of the wiretakeup member 35 in the case of the illustrated embodiment).

As seen in FIGS. 8, 13 and 14, the pulling pawl 62 is pivotally mountedon the second operating member 32 by a pivot pin 74 that is mounted tothe second operating member 32. The bicycle operating device 10 furthercomprises a biasing element 76. The biasing element 76 biases thepulling pawl 62 toward engagement with the pulling member 60. Here, thebiasing element 76 is a coil torsion spring that is mounted on the pivotpin 74 and biases the pulling pawl 62 radially towards the first pivotaxis P1. The pulling pawl 62 is biased to engage one of the pullingteeth 60 a of the pulling member 60 while the first and second operatingmembers 31 and 32 are in the first and second rest positions,respectively, as seen in FIG. 13. However, the pulling pawl 62 can bebiased to contact and held on the second release member 64 between apair of the pulling teeth 60 a of the pulling member 60 while the firstand second operating members 31 and 32 are in the first and second restpositions, respectively. The pulling pawl 62 is disengaged from thepulling teeth 60 a of the pulling member 60 as the first operatingmember 31 moves from the first rest position toward the first actuatedposition as seen in FIG. 14 and as explained below.

As the second operating member 32 is pivoted in the second direction D2to perform a pulling operation of the inner wire 12 b, the pulling pawl62 is moved into contact with the pulling member 60 to pivot the pullingmember 60 and the positioning ratchet 40 with respect to the base member22 in the second direction D2 as the second operating member 32 movesfrom the second rest position to the second actuated position. In otherwords, the pulling pawl 62 contacts the pulling member 60 and moves thepulling member 60 as the second operating member 32 moves from thesecond rest position to the second actuated position. In this way, thepulling pawl 62 contacts the pulling member 60 and moves the pullingmember 60 as the pulling pawl 62 moves with respect to the base member22. Thus, as the second operating member 32 performs a pulling operationof the inner wire 12 b, the pulling pawl 62 will pivot the pullingmember 60 in the second direction D2. As a result, the positioningratchet 40 and the wire takeup member 35 move together in the seconddirection D2 as the second operating member 32 moves from the secondrest position (e.g., see FIGS. 31 and 33) to the second actuatedposition (e.g., see FIG. 32).

However, when the first operating member 31 is moved to one of the firstactuated positions, the second release member 64 will move the pullingpawl 62 out of engagement with the pulling teeth 60 a of the pullingmember 60. In particular, the pulling pawl 62 is pivoted outwardly onthe pivot pin 74 by the second release member 64 during operation of thefirst operating member 31 so that the pulling pawl 62 does not interferewith the releasing operation.

Now referring to FIGS. 10 to 12, 15, 17 and 19, the second releasemember 64 will be discussed for moving the pulling pawl 62 out ofengagement from the pulling teeth 60 a of the pulling member 60 so thatthe pulling pawl 62 does not interfere with the releasing operation.Basically, the second release member 64 is movably mounted with respectto the base member 22. More specifically, the second release member 64is pivotally mounted with respect to the base member 22 about the secondpivot axis P2. In other words, the second release member 64 is pivotallysupported on the pivot pin 44, which also supports the positioningmember 43. In the illustrated embodiment, the second release member 64is pivotally supported on the pivot pin 44, which also supports thefirst and second positioning pawls 41 and 42. The internal operatingpart 38 moves the second release member 64 which in turn moves thepulling pawl 62 away from the pulling member 60 as the internaloperating part 38 moves from the rest position to the actuated position.In other words, the second release member 64 moves the pulling pawl 62away from the pulling member 60 as the second release member 64 moveswith respect to the base member 22.

In the illustrated embodiment, the second release member 64 includes afirst end part 64 a and a second end part 64 b. The second releasemember 64 further includes a connecting part 64 c that interconnects thefirst second end parts 64 a and 64 b. Here, the second release member 64is a one-piece member made from a single piece of material. For example,the second release member 64 can be a metallic member that is bent intoa U-shaped member as in the illustrated embodiment. The bicycleoperating device 10 further comprises a biasing element 78 that isprovided for biasing the second release member 64 towards the firstpivot axis P1. The biasing element 78 is a torsion spring that is coiledabout the pivot pin 44. A first end part of the biasing element 78 isattached to (i.e., hooked onto) the second release member 64, while asecond end part of the biasing element 78 is attached to (i.e., hookedonto) the top stationary support plate 24.

As seen in FIGS. 15, 17 and 19, the first end part 64 a is configured tocontact the internal operating part 38. In this way, operation of thefirst operating member 31 pivots the internal operating part 38 which inturn pivots the second release member 64. The second end part 64 b isconfigured to contact the pulling pawl 62. In other words, the secondend part 64 b of the second release member 64 moves the pulling pawl 62out of engagement with the pulling teeth 60 a as the first releasemember 56 moves by movement of the first operating member 31 from thefirst rest position to the first actuated position. The first end part64 a and the second end part 64 b are offset from each other in an axialdirection parallel to the first pivot axis P1. Thus, in the illustratedembodiment, as seen in FIG. 5, the second release member 64 extends froma first axial side 51 of the positioning ratchet 40 to a second axialside S2 of the positioning ratchet 40. Also, the pulling member 60 ispositioned on the second axial side S2 of the positioning ratchet 40.

Thus, with this arrangement, the pulling pawl 62 is held in a disengagedposition from the pulling teeth 60 a while the first operating member 31is in the first actuated position. In other words, while the firstoperating member 31 is in the first actuated position, the pulling pawl62 is pivoted outwardly on the pivot pin 74 during operation of thefirst operating member 31 so that the pulling pawl 62 does not interferewith the releasing operation of the wire takeup member 35.

In understanding the scope of the present invention, the term“comprising” and its derivatives, as used herein, are intended to beopen ended terms that specify the presence of the stated features,elements, components, groups, integers, and/or steps, but do not excludethe presence of other unstated features, elements, components, groups,integers and/or steps. The foregoing also applies to words havingsimilar meanings such as the terms, “including”, “having” and theirderivatives. Also, the terms “part,” “section,” “portion,” “member” or“element” when used in the singular can have the dual meaning of asingle part or a plurality of parts unless otherwise stated.

As used herein, the following directional terms “frame facing side”,“non-frame facing side”, “forward”, “rearward”, “front”, “rear”, “up”,“down”, “above”, “below”, “upward”, “downward”, “top”, “bottom”, “side”,“vertical”, “horizontal”, “perpendicular” and “transverse” as well asany other similar directional terms refer to those directions of abicycle in an upright, riding position and equipped with the bicycleoperating device. Accordingly, these directional terms, as utilized todescribe the bicycle operating device should be interpreted relative toa bicycle in an upright riding position on a horizontal surface and thatis equipped with the bicycle operating device. The terms “left” and“right” are used to indicate the “right” when referencing from the rightside as viewed from the rear of the bicycle, and the “left” whenreferencing from the left side as viewed from the rear of the bicycle.

Also, it will be understood that although the terms “first” and “second”may be used herein to describe various components these componentsshould not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used todistinguish one component from another. Thus, for example, a firstcomponent discussed above could be termed a second component and viceversa without departing from the teachings of the present invention. Theterm “attached” or “attaching”, as used herein, encompassesconfigurations in which an element is directly secured to anotherelement by affixing the element directly to the other element;configurations in which the element is indirectly secured to the otherelement by affixing the element to the intermediate member(s) which inturn are affixed to the other element; and configurations in which oneelement is integral with another element, i.e. one element isessentially part of the other element. This definition also applies towords of similar meaning, for example, “joined”, “connected”, “coupled”,“mounted”, “bonded”, “fixed” and their derivatives. Finally, terms ofdegree such as “substantially”, “about” and “approximately” as usedherein mean an amount of deviation of the modified term such that theend result is not significantly changed.

While only selected embodiments have been chosen to illustrate thepresent invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art fromthis disclosure that various changes and modifications can be madeherein without departing from the scope of the invention as defined inthe appended claims. For example, unless specifically stated otherwise,the size, shape, location or orientation of the various components canbe changed as needed and/or desired so long as the changes do notsubstantially affect their intended function. Unless specifically statedotherwise, components that are shown directly connected or contactingeach other can have intermediate structures disposed between them solong as the changes do not substantially affect their intended function.The functions of one element can be performed by two, and vice versaunless specifically stated otherwise. Every feature which is unique fromthe prior art, alone or in combination with other features, also shouldbe considered a separate description of further inventions by theapplicant, including the structural and/or functional concepts embodiedby such feature(s). Thus, the foregoing descriptions of the embodimentsaccording to the present invention are provided for illustration only,and not for the purpose of limiting the invention as defined by theappended claims and their equivalents.

What is claimed is:
 1. A bicycle operating device comprising: a basemember; a positioning ratchet pivotally mounted with respect to the basemember about a pivot axis, the positioning ratchet being configured topivot in a first direction and a second direction that is opposite tothe first direction; a first positioning pawl pivotally mounted withrespect to the base member about a pawl pivot axis between a firstholding position and a first releasing position; a second positioningpawl pivotally mounted with respect to the base member about the pawlpivot axis between a second holding position and a second releasingposition; and at least one biasing member biasing the first positioningpawl toward the first holding position, and biasing the secondpositioning pawl toward the second holding position, the firstpositioning pawl including a first contact point being configured toselectively contact the positioning ratchet and prevent pivoting of thepositioning ratchet in the first direction about the pivot axis whilethe first positioning pawl is in the first holding position, and thefirst contact point being spaced in a perpendicular direction from thepawl pivot axis by a first linear length, the first positioning pawlreleasing the positioning ratchet to pivot in the first direction whilethe first positioning pawl is in the first releasing position; thesecond positioning pawl including a second contact point beingconfigured to selectively contact the positioning ratchet and preventpivoting of the positioning ratchet in the first direction about thepivot axis while the second positioning pawl is in the second holdingposition, and the second contact point being spaced in a perpendiculardirection from the pawl pivot axis by a second linear length, the secondpositioning pawl releasing the positioning ratchet to pivot in the firstdirection while the second positioning pawl is in the second releasingposition, the first linear length being different from the second linearlength, the pivot axis and the pawl pivot axis defining a plane, thefirst contact point and the second contact point being located on a sameside of the plane with respect to the pawl pivot axis, and the at leastone biasing member being disposed on an opposite side of the plane thanthe first and second contact points.
 2. The bicycle operating deviceaccording to claim 1, wherein the first linear length is longer than thesecond linear length.
 3. The bicycle operating device according to claim1, wherein the first positioning pawl includes a first mounting portionand a second mounting portion, the second mounting portion is spacedapart from the first mounting portion in an axial direction that isparallel to the pawl pivot axis, and the second positioning pawlincludes a third mounting portion disposed between the first mountingportion and the second mounting portion in the axial direction.
 4. Thebicycle operating device according to claim 1, further comprising: apivot pin pivotally supporting the first positioning pawl and the secondpositioning pawl.
 5. The bicycle operating device according to claim 1,wherein the first positioning pawl and the second positioning pawl areconfigured to move independently from each other.
 6. The bicycleoperating device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one biasingmember includes a first biasing member biasing the first positioningpawl toward the first holding position, and a second biasing memberbiasing the second positioning pawl toward the second holding position,the first biasing member is different from the second biasing member. 7.The bicycle operating device according to claim 1, further comprising: apin supporting the at least one biasing member.
 8. The bicycle operatingdevice according to claim 1, wherein the positioning ratchet includes aplurality of positioning abutments circumferentially arranged withrespect to the pivot axis, the first and second contact points of thefirst and second positioning pawls alternately contact the positioningabutments to prevent pivoting of the positioning ratchet in the firstdirection about the pivot axis.
 9. The bicycle operating deviceaccording to claim 1, further comprising: a wire takeup member arrangedto pivot together with the positioning ratchet as the positioningratchet pivots with respect to the base member about the pivot axis. 10.The bicycle operating device according to claim 1, further comprising: afirst operating member selectively moving the first and secondpositioning pawls from the first and second holding positions to thefirst and second releasing positions, respectively, as the firstoperating member moves from a first rest position to a first actuatedposition.
 11. The bicycle operating device according to claim 10,further comprising: a second operating member operatively coupled to thepositioning ratchet to pivot the positioning ratchet with respect to thebase member in the second direction as the second operating member movesfrom a second rest position to a second actuated position.
 12. Thebicycle operating device according to claim 11, further comprising: apulling member movably mounted with respect to the base member, thepulling member pivoting the positioning ratchet in the second directionas the pulling member moves with respect to the base member, and apulling pawl movably mounted on the second operating member, the pullingpawl contacting the pulling member and moving the pulling member as thesecond operating member moves from the second rest position to thesecond actuated position.
 13. A bicycle operating device comprising: abase member; a positioning ratchet pivotally mounted with respect to thebase member about a pivot axis, the positioning ratchet being configuredto pivot in a first direction and a second direction that is opposite tothe first direction; a first positioning pawl pivotally mounted withrespect to the base member about a pawl pivot axis between a firstholding position and a first releasing position; and a secondpositioning pawl pivotally mounted with respect to the base member aboutthe pawl pivot axis between a second holding position and a secondreleasing position, the first positioning pawl including a first contactpoint being configured to selectively contact the positioning ratchetand prevent pivoting of the positioning ratchet in the first directionabout the pivot axis while the first positioning pawl is in the firstholding position, the first positioning pawl releasing the positioningratchet to pivot in the first direction while the first positioning pawlis in the first releasing position, the second positioning pawlincluding a second contact point being configured to selectively contactthe positioning ratchet and prevent pivoting of the positioning ratchetin the first direction about the pivot axis while the second positioningpawl is in the second holding position, the second positioning pawlreleasing the positioning ratchet to pivot in the first direction whilethe second positioning pawl is in the second releasing position, thepivot axis and the pawl pivot axis defining a plane, the first contactpoint and the second contact point being located on a same side of theplane with respect to the pawl pivot axis, the first positioning pawlincluding a first mounting portion and a second mounting portion, thesecond mounting portion being spaced apart from the first mountingportion in an axial direction that is parallel to the pawl pivot axis,and the second positioning pawl including a third mounting portiondisposed between the first mounting portion and the second mountingportion in the axial direction.
 14. A bicycle operating devicecomprising: a base member; a positioning ratchet pivotally mounted withrespect to the base member about a pivot axis, the positioning ratchetbeing configured to pivot in a first direction and a second directionthat is opposite to the first direction; a first positioning pawlpivotally mounted with respect to the base member about a pawl pivotaxis between a first holding position and a first releasing position;and a second positioning pawl pivotally mounted with respect to the basemember about the pawl pivot axis between a second holding position and asecond releasing position, the first positioning pawl including a firstcontact point being configured to selectively contact the positioningratchet and prevent pivoting of the positioning ratchet in the firstdirection about the pivot axis while the first positioning pawl is inthe first holding position, and the first contact point being spaced ina perpendicular direction from the pawl pivot axis by a first linearlength, the first positioning pawl releasing the positioning ratchet topivot in the first direction while the first positioning pawl is in thefirst releasing position, the second positioning pawl including a secondcontact point being configured to selectively contact the positioningratchet and prevent pivoting of the positioning ratchet in the firstdirection about the pivot axis while the second positioning pawl is inthe second holding position, and the second contact point being spacedin a perpendicular direction from the pawl pivot axis by a second linearlength, the second positioning pawl releasing the positioning ratchet topivot in the first direction while the second positioning pawl is in thesecond releasing position, and the first linear length being differentfrom the second linear length, the pivot axis and the pawl pivot axisdefining a plane, the first contact point and the second contact pointbeing located on a same side of the plane with respect to the pawl pivotaxis, a first operating member selectively moving the first and secondpositioning pawls from the first and second holding positions to thefirst and second releasing positions, respectively, as the firstoperating member moves from a first rest position to a first actuatedposition, a release member movably mounted with respect to the basemember between a non-release position and a release position, therelease member selectively moving the first and second positioning pawlsfrom the first and second holding positions to the first and secondreleasing positions, respectively, as the release member moves withrespect to the base member, and a release pawl movably mounted to thefirst operating member, the release pawl being configured to move therelease member from the non-release position to the release position asthe first operating member moves from the first rest position to thefirst actuated position.